About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. More than 2,600 readers responded to our survey, and we’re sharing the results here. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Auto Insurance Companies
These two auto insurance companies stood above the rest in our reader survey. Respondents scored auto insurers based on how competitive their rates are, how positive the experience is when making a claim and whether they’d recommend the insurer to others.
OVERALL WINNER: USAA
Outstanding for:
- Competitive rates
- Claims experience
- Most recommended
USAA far outpaced its competitors on the criteria we asked readers to evaluate. “Their service, reliability and professionalism are second to none,” says one reader. A few pointed to strong customer service as a standout feature, too, with one saying that “USAA has the best customer service of any financial service organization I use.”
USAA membership is available to military service members and veterans, as well as their spouses and children. Those who have an auto insurance policy with USAA can take advantage of various discounts, including up to 10% off for bundling auto and homeowners policies, lower rates for teens who maintain high grades, and a discount of up to 3% if you set up automatic payments of your insurance premiums. USAA’s mobile app provides a range of features — you can pull up your auto insurance identification card, change your coverage, pay bills, request roadside assistance, and file and manage claims, among other options.
Progressive
Outstanding for:
- Competitive rates
Readers gave Progressive a nod for offering competitive rates on its auto policies. “Progressive has consistently given me the best quotes on auto insurance,” says one survey respondent, who also noted “fantastic customer service and follow-up” through two claims with the company.
Among other discounts, Progressive offers the option to reduce your insurance rate by participating in its Snapshot program. Through a mobile app or device that plugs in to your car, Progressive tracks your driving habits and rewards you for safe behaviors, such as limiting hard braking and acceleration, keeping your hands off your phone while behind the wheel, and avoiding late-night driving, when the roads tend to be most dangerous. Progressive’s mobile app includes the ability to view and share insurance ID cards, report and track claims, pay bills and see policy information.
Kiplinger Readers' Awards Categories
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Best Cash Back Credit Cards
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: National Banks
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Internet Banks
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Full-Service Brokers
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Wealth Managers
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
- Kiplinger Reader's Choice Awards: Tax Software
